Receptacle



Aug. 18, 1959 R. RUCKER 2,900,105

, RECEPTACLE Filed Feb. 4, 1957 INVENTOR. RAY RUG/(ER ATTORNEY RECEPTACLE Ray Rucker, Greeley, Colo.

Application February 4, 1957, Serial No. 638,060

2 Claims. (Cl. 220-102) This invention relates to receptacles, and more particularly to receptacles for holding a plurality of cylindrical articles, such as cans of motor oil.

Among the objects of this invention are to provide a novel receptacle, particularly adapted to receive and support a plurality of cylindrical articles; to provide such a receptacle which will hold the cylindrical articles securely in position; to provide such a receptacle which is provided with a handle which will not interfere with the removal from or replacement of the articles in the receptacle; to provide such a receptacle which includes spaces for receiving articles or devices, such as pertinent to the use of the cylndrical articles; and to provide such a receptacle which is comparatively light in weight but rugged in construction and will withstand hard usage.

Additional objects and the novel features of this invention will become apparent from the-description which follows, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a receptacle constructed in accordance with this invention, a number of cylindrical objects therein being shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the receptacle of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of an alternative embodiment, taken from the position of line 33 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of a further alternative embodiment, taken from the position of line 44 of Fig. 1.

A receptacle constructed in accordance wtih this invention, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, is adapted to receive a number of similar cylindrical articles, such as six cans of motor oil, shown in dotted lines. The receptacle may be formed-principally of so-called expanded metal, i.e., having holes or perforations therein, which are formed as the metal is stretched or extruded both longitudinally and laterally, the working of the metal tending to increase its strength and the holes decreasing its weight. Two principal strips may be used, one strip 11 forming the sides and ends of the receptacle and a strip 12 forming the bottom thereof, the width of strip 11 conveniently being less than the height of the cylindrical articles to be placed in the receptacle. It will be noted that the perforations are omitted in the bottom 12 .in Fig. l, for clarity of illustration. Or, as in the embodiment of Fig. 3, the side and end strip 11' and the bottom strip 12 may be formed of solid material, as shown. The

ends 13 of the strip 11 may be lapped over and attached together, as by spot welding, at one end of the case, while the ends 14 of the bottom 12 may be bent upwardly and attached, as by spot welding, to the lower edges of the strip 11 at each end of the receptacle, as in Fig. 2. Strip 11 is also formed to provide a series of outwardly extending and preferably curved sections or surfaces 15, conveniently arcuate or cylindrical, such as less than a semicircle and having a radius slightly greater than the radius of the articles 10, with the vertical corners 16, or points of juncture, between the adjacent sections 15 being attached, as by spot welding, to bottom 12, whose width corresponds to and is conveniently only slightly greater than the distance between opposite corners 16. At each corner 16, a finger 17, as in the embodiment of Fig. 4, may be bent upwardly at the edge of bottom 12 for greater convenience in attaching the respective corners 16 to bottom 12. In the embodiment of Fig. 4, the side and end strip 11" and the bottom strip .12 may be formed of metal provided with holes 1%.

In accordance with this invention, a spacer 20 having upstanding surfaces adapted to cooperate with sections 15 is disposed generally between opposite points of juncture of sections 15. Each spacer 20 is conveniently diamond shaped, and may be formed from a single piece of metal with the lateral edges wrapped over and attached together, as by spot welding, at one corner 21, While the lower edge of each side of each spacer 20 may be flared outwardly to form a flange 22, as in Fig. 4, which may be attached, as by spot welding, to the bottom 12.

The receptacle may be provided with a handle 25 which may be pivotally attached by pins 26 to the opposite ends of the receptacle, adjacent the upper edges of the latter, the handle 25 preferably having sufiicient height and a configuration, such as including rounded corners 27, so that it will clear all of the cans 10, both when the handle is upright for carrying the receptacle, as in Fig. 4, as well as when the handle is placed downwardly against the side of the case, as in the dotted position of Fig. 3, as well as in positions intermediate the same, such as in the full positions of Figs. 2 and 3. Thus, the ends of the handle are preferably attached outside the ends of the case, so that the handle may be moved to any position without striking the articles 10.

As will be evident. each of the central cans 10 is retained in position by the central arcuate sections 15 and the two spacers 20, while each of the outer cans 10 is retained in position by the end arcuate sections 15 and the respective outer sides of the spacers 20. If desired, the sides of the spacers 20 may be concave, but they are more readily formed to a diamond shape and in such shape adequately retain the articles in position in the case. The interior of the respective spacers 20 may also be used to receive a wiping rag and a tool for opening the oil cans, thus facilitating the use of the receptacle for carrying motor oil. It will be noted that, in the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the receptacle is adapted to receive six cans of motor oil, which is a convenient number for use in changing the oil of an automobile engine, although a lesser number of cans may be carried. Also, the length of the receptacle may be increased and one or more additional spacers 20 used, with a corresponding increase in the number of arcuate sections 15 on each side, so that a greater number of cylindrical articles can be carried, such as eight or more. While the bottom 12 need extend only to the corners 16 for adequate strength, the width of the bottom 12 may be greater, although this is normally unnecessary. It will be noted that a space is formed be tween the lateral edge of the bottom 12 and each of the arcuate sections 15, but the maximum width of this space is less than the radius of a cylindrical article to be received in the case, so that there is no danger of the article falling through such space.

As will be evident, any of the articles 10 may be placed in or removed from the receptacle with the handle in upright position, as in Fig. 4, or resting against the side of the receptacle, as in the dotted position of Fig. 3. Also, with the handle to one side or resting against the side of the receptacle, complete freedom of access to the spacers 20 is obtained, although little difliculty of access to the spacers 20 is encountered with the handle in the upright position of Fig. 4-.

Although the receptacle of this invention is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as being made from a particular style of expanded metal, it will be evident that other types of expanded metal may be used and also that the side and end walls or bottom of the case, as well as the spacers 20, may be made of solid or other material, such as sheet material with holes punched therein, as in Fig. 4. Of course, for carrying cans of motor oil, the holes provided by expanded or perforated metal not only decrease the weight, but also permit spilled oil to pass through the bottom of the receptacle and also through the bottom of the spaces surrounded by the spacers 20, thus preventing an accumulation of oil in the receptacle. As will be evident, cylindrical articles other than cans of motor oil, as well as articles other than cylindrical objects, may be carried in the receptacle.

Although several preferred embodiments of this invention have been illustrated and described and certain variations therein indicated, it will be understood that other embodiments may exist and various other changes made, all without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A receptacle comprising a bottom and upright ends and sides formed of apertured metal, said ends and sides being single-Walled and each side being provided With a plurality of upright, outwardly extending and intersecting cylindrical surfaces, said surfaces being slightly less than semicylindrical, the intersections of said surfaces forming spaced vertical corners of juncture at the inner edges thereof and the corners of juncture of opposite sides being disposed opposite each other; a bottom extending from end to end of said receptacle and having a width corresponding to the distance between said opposite points of juncture, the side edges of said bottom being attached to each side at the bottom of each vertical corner of juncture and the ends of said bottom being attached to the ends of said receptacle; and a spacer attached to said bottom and extending in upright position therefrom generally in alignment with the opposite vertical corners of juncture of said sides, each said spacer being generally diamond-shaped in cross section and the number of spacers corresponding to the number of opposite corners of juncture of said sides.

2. A receptacle as defined in claim 1, wherein said sides and ends are formed from a single piece of expanded metal; each spacer is formed of expanded metal; and including a handle pivotally attached to the ends of said receptacle and constructed and arranged to clear articles normally placed in said receptacle in both an upright position and in movement from an upright position to a position in which said handle rests against the outside of either side of said receptacle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

